UCI Road World Championships: Viktória Chladoňová beats Isabella Holmgren to wins under-23 women’s title

With ten laps of a highly attritional course, the under-23 women kept a steady pace on the opening laps, letting the elevation do the work to make the race selective. A crash on the first lap took down half a dozen riders, including Unbound 100 winner Kylee Hanel (USA), who managed to chase back on during the second lap, though potential favourite Megan Arens (Netherlands) and Mebrhit Girmay (Eritrea) were forced to drop out of the race.

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Wilma Antila (Finland) and Sofia Ungerová (Slovakia) launched an attack 112.7km to go and came through with eight laps to go with a lead of 30 seconds on one chaser, Eliška Kvasničkova (Czechia) and 51 seconds on the peloton. After a long chase, Kvasničkova finally made it to the leaders with 97.5km to go, as the trio held a 1:43 lead on the peloton at the end of lap 3.

Sofia Ungerova (Slovakia) in the early breakaway for her teammate (Image credit: Getty Images)

Another tangle with 90km to go took down Belgium’s Lore De Schepper, who took a bike from Febe Jooris and had to chase back into the peloton. De Schepper made it back on quite quickly after a 5km chase, but it was not such good news for her teammate Jooris, who quit the race.

After a subdued start to the race, things kicked off pretty early on the fourth lap, with newly-crowned TT world champion Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (Australia) putting in a significant acceleration on one of the course’s smaller climbs, and pulling out a selection of strong riders, including Imogen Wolff (Great Britain) and Alexandra Volstad (Canada).

However, after their misfortunes, Belgium missed out on this move, as did teams like Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, which meant that despite the break’s strength, the peloton brought them back quite quickly on the Camilien-Houde. However, the injection of pace had shrunk the peloton and rapidly eaten into the original breakaway’s gap, and they had only 30 seconds with 77km to go.

The next significant attack came from Morven Yeoman (Great Britain), who launched herself into the no-man’s-land between the peloton and the bunch, but laid out Great Britain’s intentions and put the responsibility of chasing onto the Aussies.

The peloton began to pour on the pressure on lap six, with Ungerova and Aintila the only riders remaining in front at the start/finish with just 29 seconds in hand.

Hanel was caught up in another crash with 44km to go along with Babette van der Wolf (Netherlands).

The race really began to implode on lap 8 of 10 as Australia pushed the pace and reeled in the breakaway on the climb. Then, Canada sent Ava Holmgren to the front with 37km to go to keep the pressure on. The peloton had been whittled down to around 20 riders at the front, while the pace was taking its toll behind, with riders steadily dropping off the back.

A mechanical dropped Nienke Vinke (Netherlands) from the group, as she had to wait a long time before her team car came to assist her, and she was out of contention.

A move from France was countered by Fleur Moors (Belgium), Isabella Holmgren (Canada) and Viktoria Chladaňová (Slovakia) making a dangerous three-rider attack with 31km to go.

The winning trio late in the race (Image credit: Getty Images)

With two laps to go, the trio had 17 seconds on the Australia-led peloton, down to 15 riders, as the pace and hard course were taking a toll, with more riders being shelled off the back, including Cat Ferguson (Great Britain), Ava Holmgren, and Paula Ostiz (Spain).

Australia, with three riders in the group, led the chase, but the gap had increased to 27 seconds by the start of the bell lap, while behind, Vinke was leading a chase group, a further 43 seconds back.

Justyna Czapla (Germany) attacked and split the chase group, closing the gap down to 15 seconds. That forced Holmgren to make the first move on Voie Camillien-Houde, but Chladaňová gritted her teeth and jumped on wheel.

With Bella Holmgren doing most of the work, the pair had 13 seconds on Moors with 10 kilometres to go, and 34 seconds to the second chase group.

The duo kept building their gap to 36 seconds while Moors was caught by the chasing group, leading to a battle for the bronze medal.

Holmgren forced Chladaňová to the front with 1km to go, but the Slovakian hugged the barriers and kept a watch over her right shoulder. The Canadian launched her sprint first, but Chladaňová was able to come around and power to the line for gold.

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Rank

Name

Time

1

Viktoria Chladoňova (Slovakia)

3:49:10

2

Isabella Holmgren (Canada)

0:00:00

3

Fleur Moors (Belgium)

0:00:33

4

Mara Winter (Switzerland)

0:00:33

5

Talia Appleton (Australia)

0:00:33

6

Lore de Schepper (Belgium)

0:00:39

7

Katherine Sarkisov (United States)

0:01:10

8

Sidney Swierenga (Canada)

0:01:16

9

Justyna Czapla (Germany)

0:01:16

10

Mackenzie Coupland (Australia)

0:01:46

11

Rosita Reijnhout (Netherlands)

0:01:47

12

Emily Dixon (Australia)

0:01:50

13

Nienke Vinke (Netherlands)

0:02:04

14

Eleonora Ciabocco (Italy)

0:02:05

15

Ava Holmgren (Canada)

0:03:40

16

Paula Ostiz (Spain)

0:03:40

17

Juliana Londono (Colombia)

0:03:40

18

Julie Bego (France)

0:03:47

19

Ema Comte (France)

0:05:04

20

Catrin Ferguson (Great Britain)

0:05:40

21

Anina Hutter (Switzerland)

0:07:43

22

Babette van der Wolf (Netherlands)

0:07:43

23

Awen Roberts (Great Britain)

0:07:43

24

Emma Siegers (Belgium)

0:07:43

25

Amandine Muller (France)

0:07:43

26

Tess Moerman (Belgium)

0:07:43

27

Marion Bunel (France)

0:07:45

28

Gaia Segato (Italy)

0:07:45

29

Kylee Hanel (United States)

0:08:07

30

Oda Aune Gissinger (Norway)

0:08:13

31

Olympia Norrid-Mortensen (Denmark)

0:08:15

32

Malwina Mul (Poland)

0:08:15

33

Nina Andacka (Slovakia)

0:08:15

34

Silje Antvorskov (Denmark)

0:08:18

35

Sophia Sammons (Australia)

0:08:36

36

Barbora Němcova (Czechia)

0:10:58

37

Giada Silo (Italy)

0:10:58

38

Leyre Almena (Spain)

0:10:58

39

Ayala Serrano (Spain)

0:10:58

40

Stina Kagevi (Sweden)

0:10:58

41

Wilma Aintila (Finland)

0:10:58

42

Imogen Wolff (Great Britain)

0:10:58

43

Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (Australia)

0:10:58

44

Abigail Miller (Great Britain)

0:10:58

45

Sofia Ungerova (Slovakia)

0:10:58

46

Celia Torres (Spain)

0:10:58

47

Liv Wenzel (Luxembourg)

0:10:58

48

Tabea Huys (Austria)

0:10:58

49

Morven Yeoman (Great Britain)

0:10:58

50

Titia Ryo (France)

0:10:58

51

Joelle Amelie Messemer (Germany)

0:10:58

52

Alexandra Volstad (Canada)

0:10:58

53

Laura Lizette Sander (Estonia)

0:13:32

54

Lea Huber (Switzerland)

0:13:32

55

Alyssa Sarkisov (United States)

0:14:07

56

Nadia Hartman (Poland)

0:14:07

57

Gwen Nothum (Luxembourg)

0:14:07

58

Elisabeth Ebras (Estonia)

0:14:51

59

Clara Jager (Germany)

0:14:51

60

Florencia Monsalvez (Chile)

0:14:51

61

Mayte Zamudio (Mexico)

0:14:51

62

Adar Shriki (Israel)

0:14:51

63

Kiara Lylyk (Canada)

0:17:16

64

Elizaveta Bor (Neutral Athlete)

0:17:16

65

Xiaoyan Xu (China)

OK

DNF

Eliška Kvasničkova (Czechia)

Row 65 – Cell 2

DNF

Marlen Rojas (Chile)

Row 66 – Cell 2

DNF

Delfina Dibella (Argentina)

Row 67 – Cell 2

DNF

Rena Tanaka (Japan)

Row 68 – Cell 2

DNF

Tsige Kiros (Ethiopia)

Row 69 – Cell 2

DNF

Angie Londono (Colombia)

Row 70 – Cell 2

DNF

Camilla Ranes Bye (Norway)

Row 71 – Cell 2

DNF

Shengning Wang (China)

Row 72 – Cell 2

DNF

Milana Ushakova (Ukraine)

Row 73 – Cell 2

DNF

Magdalena Leis (Germany)

Row 74 – Cell 2

DNF

Lidia Cusack (United States)

Row 75 – Cell 2

DNF

Mia Aseltine (United States)

Row 76 – Cell 2

DNF

Natalia Garzon (Colombia)

Row 77 – Cell 2

DNF

Tully Schweitzer (Australia)

Row 78 – Cell 2

DNF

Maja Tracka (Poland)

Row 79 – Cell 2

DNF

Urszula Sipko (Poland)

Row 80 – Cell 2

DNF

Anastasiya Samsonova (Neutral Athlete)

Row 81 – Cell 2

DNF

Haixin Dong (China)

Row 82 – Cell 2

DNF

Jazilla Mwamikazi (Rwanda)

Row 83 – Cell 2

DNF

Mariate Byukusenge (Rwanda)

Row 84 – Cell 2

DNF

Laura Choma (Poland)

Row 85 – Cell 2

DNF

Liliya Ismagilova (Neutral Athlete)

Row 86 – Cell 2

DNF

Alena Bogdanova (Neutral Athlete)

Row 87 – Cell 2

DNF

Gissel Borbon (Mexico)

Row 88 – Cell 2

DNF

Tingting Wang (China)

Row 89 – Cell 2

DNF

Raquel Dias (Portugal)

Row 90 – Cell 2

DNF

Valeriya Koviazina (Neutral Athlete)

Row 91 – Cell 2

DNF

Viktoriya Polzunova (Uzbekistan)

Row 92 – Cell 2

DNF

Febe Jooris (Belgium)

Row 93 – Cell 2

DNF

Natalie Revelo (Ecuador)

Row 94 – Cell 2

DNF

Irati Aranguren (Spain)

Row 95 – Cell 2

DNF

Ida Ayu Manik Laksmi Dewi (Indonesia)

Row 96 – Cell 2

DNF

Nihayatuzzain Asshofi (Indonesia)

Row 97 – Cell 2

DNF

Shafa Al Zahra (Indonesia)

Row 98 – Cell 2

DNF

Sara Torrico (Bolivia)

Row 99 – Cell 2

DNF

Atzi Reyes (Mexico)

Row 100 – Cell 2

DNF

Georgette Vignonfodo (Benin)

Row 101 – Cell 2

DNF

Abril Capdevila (Argentina)

Row 102 – Cell 2

DNF

Camille Chasteau de Balyon (Mauritius)

Row 103 – Cell 2

DNF

Ayana Mizutani (Japan)

Row 104 – Cell 2

DNF

Andrea Vasquez (Guatemala)

Row 105 – Cell 2

DNF

Melsey Perez (Dominican Republic)

Row 106 – Cell 2

DNF

Jazmin Puac (Guatemala)

Row 107 – Cell 2

DNF

Qing Zhao (China)

Row 108 – Cell 2

DNF

Mieraf Aregawi (Ethiopia)

Row 109 – Cell 2

DNF

Megan Arens (Netherlands)

Row 110 – Cell 2

DNF

Mebrhit Girmay (Ethiopia)

Row 111 – Cell 2

DNS

Julia Kopecky (Czechia)

Row 112 – Cell 2